Is there a true economic value to a Duramax?

[Marty Lau]

Okay here's the story, I had a few adult beverages with an old neighbor who is fairly sharp GM Truck Tech, has lots of 6.5 & Durabux experience. He said "I would not buy a New Duramax because of the increase cost and higher maintence over 8.1L gas." " the 8.1L will pull very close to the Diesel and we have had only 4 of the 8.1L come in for warrentee work (engine)."
"How far do you have to drive the Diesel to get back the added cost also?"

So folks how about it, years ago Jim (MorePower) did some cost comparisons gas verse Diesel. I sure he (Jim) has his hands full trying to get the Duramax project truck done, how about one of you folks that have worked it out share it and do up a Post or artical that we can share with posible Diesel converts. I kind of under the gun myself right now and not in the market for a Durabux so I don't want to do the exercise anyone else game? ;)

[stolley]

An old discussion here pretty much handled it:
http://forum.thedieselpage.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=003775

Even more relavent with today's prices. Here in CA, diesel is now over 30 cents less/gal! If this keeps up, 8.1s will not have much resale value.

[Tough Guy]

I don't think a Diesel truck is for everyone, If you are a guy that does your own maintenance and out of warranty repairs and plan on keeping a vehicle for a long time and you use your vehicle to pull/haul once in a while then your choice is obvious. On the other hand if your maintenance and repairs are done for you and you trade vehicles often and don't pull/haul stuff then buy whats cheap use it up and get a new one.

I keep vehicles for quite a while and drive a lot...50,000+ miles per year, I pull a travel trailer that weights 10,000lbs and I have a utility trailer that weights 5,000lbs loaded. I do most of my own maintenance and repairs. I have a 6.5 TD with over 140,000 miles and a Power Stroke with 111,000 miles. Most gassers could not keep up with me nor could they have the kind of fuel economy numbers I do, I simply could not afford to operate gas powered vehicles under these conditions. But to each his own...

Cheers

[sdaver]

DITTO.........

[sixl]

I am on my 5th diesel powerd truck 95'Cummins,00'PS,02'Dmax,03'Cummins,04Dmax lly and I will never buy another gasser to work out of or pull agine. The added cost will never be a factor in the power and mpg I get out of my diesel trucks :D

[Marty Lau]

I agree the Diesel route isn't for everyone. I am sold and unless I move into town I will have Diesel pickup. I like the power band and the deep down pull they have. I like the face I can go 125 miles further on 12 gallons less fuel than my previous gas pickup. I like the idea that I should be able to drive my truck for about 300,000 miles even after working HARD.
Chris your going to pass me pretty quick on miles on the project truck.

[mps007]

my 2 cents -
I paid 6k more for my Dmax allison -
I get 15-18 mpg out of my 9200 lb truck
I'm trading it in at 40k
Trade in value is about 4500.00 over the gasser -
So my diesel only cost me 1500.00 over 3 years and saved me twice that in fuel .......

Plus I enjoyed driving it!
Had the Power to pll when I needed it .....

I would never buy another truck without the Diesel ..

[whatnot]

Originally posted by mps007:
my 2 cents -
I paid 6k more for my Dmax allison -
I get 15-18 mpg out of my 9200 lb truck
I'm trading it in at 40k
Trade in value is about 4500.00 over the gasser -
So my diesel only cost me 1500.00 over 3 years and saved me twice that in fuel .......

Plus I enjoyed driving it!
Had the Power to pll when I needed it .....

I would never buy another truck without the Diesel .. It isn't $6000 more than an 8.1 with Allison Is it? I thought that a good portion of the $6000 was for the transmission.

[Lawnboy]

All these prices are over BASE PRICE of a 6.0 and 5 sp Manual truck.

* 6.0/4L80 and G-80 is + $1390
* 8.1/Allison and G-80 is + $3540
* The new Power Package (LLY D/A & G-80)is + $6900

The Power Package is new for '04 and offers a considerable discount over what the '01-'03 guys paid for the D/A.


I'm still saving over $5500 by NOT purchasing a D/A. The type of driving that I do with my truck doesn't suit a diesel engine well.


It would take me 11.45 years to come out ahead with a diesel. Thats based on 5 mpg better and $0.30/gal cheaper fuel (which is USUALLY the other way around).

[Marty Lau]

I was checking on the Emunds site and the Durabux option is like $5,200 the 8.1 is like $980 and assuming you either go manual or Allison with either transmission should not make difference in cost. so let's just say it is $4,300 difference. Is due to engine

8.1 10 mpg @ $1.80 gal cost $180 per 1,000 miles
6.6 15 mpg @ $1.80 gal cost $120 per 1,000 miles
saving of $60/1000
$4300/$60 = 71,666 miles break even over that money ahead plus higher resale /trade value

[mps007]

16 ga. We may need to recalculate that at
2.50/ gallon soon !!!!

mps

[BobW]

I don't know how close Kelly Blue Book comes to reality, but I just ran my '02 as private party sale. Compared it with Duramax and 8.1L - price difference = $6000. Sounds like a can drive a Duramax (vs an 8.1) for nothing - and enjoy it a lot more!

Also noted that the resale difference between 2wd and 4wd was $2400.

[DmaxMaverick]

I also did some comparison on kbb.com.

The same truck, with the only difference being the engine selection. Considering that I originally paid $6000 more for the 6.6/A upgrade from the base price, the Duramax/Allison Made money. The D/A was $6,740 more than a base model (6.0L/5sp). It was $5,470 more than the same truck with 8.1L/Allison.

According to this, someone paid me to drive a truck that got nearly twice the fuel mileage, had twice the power (feels like it, anyway), and still gets me to grin once in a while. Not only that, the treatment I've served up on this truck would have killed a 6.0L long ago.

Economic value?

You bet!

[jeb]

Exactly as the last two posts point out, I got $5500 more for my dmax truck over the non-dmax version when I traded it on my 03 excursion 6.0PoSD (which was the worst decision I've made in a long time). They actually had run the non D/A number first thinking it was a gasser so I got to see the difference. I sure wish the rest of the truck had held it's value that well!